Remove the binhex module, binhex4 and hexbin4 standards

@vstinner

BPO	45085
Nosy	@vstinner, @ambv, @serhiy-storchaka
PRs	bpo-45085: Remove the binhex module #28117

^{Note: these values reflect the state of the issue at the time it was migrated and might not reflect the current state.}

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GitHub fields:

assignee = None
closed_at = <Date 2021-09-02.10:24:56.986>
created_at = <Date 2021-09-01.22:44:58.498>
labels = ['library', '3.11']
title = 'Remove the binhex module, binhex4 and hexbin4 standards'
updated_at = <Date 2021-09-02.10:24:56.985>
user = 'https://github.com/vstinner'

bugs.python.org fields:

activity = <Date 2021-09-02.10:24:56.985>
actor = 'lukasz.langa'
assignee = 'none'
closed = True
closed_date = <Date 2021-09-02.10:24:56.986>
closer = 'lukasz.langa'
components = ['Library (Lib)']
creation = <Date 2021-09-01.22:44:58.498>
creator = 'vstinner'
dependencies = []
files = []
hgrepos = []
issue_num = 45085
keywords = ['patch']
message_count = 6.0
messages = ['400878', '400880', '400881', '400882', '400907', '400909']
nosy_count = 3.0
nosy_names = ['vstinner', 'lukasz.langa', 'serhiy.storchaka']
pr_nums = ['28117']
priority = 'normal'
resolution = 'fixed'
stage = 'resolved'
status = 'closed'
superseder = None
type = None
url = 'https://bugs.python.org/issue45085'
versions = ['Python 3.11']

The binhex module was deprecated in Python 3.9 by bpo-39353 (commit beea26b). I propose to remove it: see attached PR.

The PR also removes the following binascii functions, also deprecated in Python 3.9:

a2b_hqx(), b2a_hqx()
rlecode_hqx(), rledecode_hqx()

The binascii.crc_hqx() function remains available.

See also the PEP-594: Removing dead batteries from the standard library
https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0594/

The binhex module was deprecated in Python 3.9 by bpo-39353 (commit beea26b). I have been asked there to keep binascii.crc_hqx() (not deprecated it).

In bpo-39353, Serhiy Storchaka proposed: "But it would be nice to create a separate package on PyPI that provides such functionality before removing it from the stdlib."

The purpose of the PEP-594 is to reduce the Python maintenance burden. Publishing a module on PyPI introduces a new maintenance burden, even if there is no plan to ever update the package.

The PEP-594 is still a draft. So far, there was no agreement on the strategy to remove anything from the stdlib.

In past, other stdlib modules have been removed silently and nobody complained. Likely because nobody used them. For example, the the Python 2 CDROM module of the old Lib/plat-linux2/ directory (CDROM.py, DLFCN.py, IN.py, regen, TYPES.py).

If someone uses the binhex module, I suggest users to create a new project on PyPI to support binhex. Users who need binhex are likely the most motivated to *maintain* such code. You can start by copying Python 3.10 code.

New changeset a806608 by Victor Stinner in branch 'main':
bpo-45085: Remove the binhex module (GH-28117)
a806608

Agreed with Victor. I'd go with the "traditional" flow of PendingDeprecationWarning in 3.9, DeprecationWarning in 3.10, and removal in 3.11; but since we kept DeprecationWarning for two releases, it's pretty much the same and fine to remove it now.